Do Sparrow Hawks fly that high? (very bad photo) Ireland (1 Viewer)

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paynie

Well-known member

• Jul 24, 2011

• #1

This flew over the house today, circling with swallows attacking it. It was circling very high indeed, the poor picture I got was on maximum zoom (x10) and I have then digitally enlarged it by 200% so as you can see it was flying very high. From what I could gather it was about the size of a crow/jackdoor but heavier. That's all I got sorry, I assume it must be a sparrow hawk but I was unaware that they fly/circle so high??????

Thanks in advance Paynie

appoligies moderators I put this in the wrong forum, if somebody could move it to identification I'd be much obliged.

 

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Last edited: Jul 24, 2011

François Doyen

Well-known member

• Jul 24, 2011

• #2

sparrowhawk often cirle very high, no problem with that. But I can't ID the bird on the picture.

FD

 

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Sancho

Well-known member

• Jul 25, 2011

• #3

paynie said:

I assume it must be a sparrow hawk but I was unaware that they fly/circle so high??????

Thanks in advance Paynie

Click to expand...

I've seen them round here (Bray) circling so high that I can't see them at all with my glasses off, and even with glasses on, I can only assume they're sprawks as they circle. It requires bins to identify them positively. So yes, sometimes in calm weather they circle so high that they are merely pin-points in the sky!:t:

 

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paynie

Well-known member

• Jul 26, 2011

• #4

Thanks for the replies guys, yes, even with my binoculars it eventually went outsight from simply getting higher and higher so I'll chalk this one up as a sparrow hawk

 

rollingthunder

Well-known member

• Jul 31, 2011

• #5

Post a picture unenlarged then the silhouette might be a bit more distinct?

Laurie -

 

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paynie

Well-known member

• Jul 31, 2011

• #6

rollingthunder said:

Post a picture unenlarged then the silhouette might be a bit more distinct?

Laurie -

Click to expand...

here you go

 

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Tiraya

San Diego CA

• Aug 4, 2011

• #7

Tail looks long enough. They certainly do go very high, most often on thermals. In fact almost every Accipter I've seen will appear low down in the sky and end up as a speck in the sky without even flapping once.